


Stranger Things Than Dungeons and Dragons

by Commandant_Lupus_Ignis



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Best Friends, Dungeons & Dragons, F/M, Gen, Monsters, The Lord of the Rings References, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:00:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21783334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Commandant_Lupus_Ignis/pseuds/Commandant_Lupus_Ignis
Summary: The night of November sixth in 1983 started like any other. Our party enjoying themselves in a basement while playing Dungeons and Dragons. Nothing strange there, right?Well that won't last long.With the disappearance of one of their own, and many other strange things happening in their town, a group of friends is going to have to work quick to figure out what is going on and save those they hold dear, and might even find more friends along the way. Who knows, maybe even more. But they better be careful, because what they're up against is a lot more dangerous than some figurine on a board game.*Name or story description subject to change. Please feel free to suggest new story names.*
Relationships: Dustin Henderson/Original Character(s), Eleven | Jane Hopper & Original Character(s), Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Mike Wheeler & Original Character(s), Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Will Byers & Original Character(s)





	1. Chapter 1

Crickets chirped loudly outside of a normal household, only to be drowned out by the hum and chirp of a sprinkler as it sprays water too and fro.

“Something is coming. Something hungry for blood.”

A dark haired boy peers over the top of a book. “A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here.” Spoke a young Michael Wheeler as he stared back at his friends in intimidation.

Around a table that held the board game Dungeons and Dragons sat the five friends, four of which turned to each other at their Dungeon Masters words.

“What is it?” Young Will Byers questioned, turning back to Mike for an answer.

“What if it's the Demogorgon? Oh, Jesus, we're so screwed if it's the Demogorgon.” A boy wearing a hat atop curly hair by the name of Dustin Henderson lamented as he pressed his hand to his forehead in fear.

The other three playing along with him either rolled their eyes or ignored their friend's reaction to the possibility of a Demogorgon. “It's not the Demogorgon.” Lucas Sinclair sat across from Dustin, enunciating his words with his hands as he disagreed with his friend.

“An army of Troglodytes charge into the chamber!” Mike announces as he loudly slams a figurine on the table in front of him and his friends.

Everyone looks relieved by the reveal, except of course Mike and the only other friend not to speak.

“Troglodytes?” Dustin asked, smirking at Mike because of how easy it will be to overcome the weak opponents.

“Told ya!” Lucas bragged before giggling, Dustin and Will joining him as their fears dissipated at not having to face the Demogorgon.

“I wouldn't let your guard down just yet.” The last member of the party finally spoke up from where she sat between Will and Dustin, leaning forward with her chin propped on folded tan hands as she stared back at Mike.

Erin Wakeman knew Mike well enough after all these years to know when he sent something weak like Troglodytes in that he was preparing for something even grander. It was a front, which usually would by followed by something far worse.

Mike, on cue, dawned a nervous expression. “Wait a minute.” Mike muttered softly as he turned away from them while Erin covered her knowing smile behind her fingertips. “Did you hear that?” Mike asked as he turned his head to look behind him.

“That... that sound... Boom... Boom... Boom!” Mike slammed his open palms against the table with the final boom, the other four jerking at the sudden loud bang of the table.

“That didn't come from the troglodytes. No, that... That came from something else.” Mike revealed to the party as he peered over the book at them.

Will, Dustin, Lucas and Erin each exchanged a look of fear and anticipation of what Mike was planning, before with a loud bang Mike slammed another figurine on the table before them.

“The Demogorgon!” Mike announced, the other boys groaning out loud at the monster they now were faced with.

“I told you.” Erin reminded as she threw her hands up in the air from how Mike threw them into hot water so willingly.

“We're in deep shit.” Dustin groaned as he pressed a hand to his face.

“Will! You're action?” Mike demanded action from their magic user, who immediately panicked from being put on the spot against a Demogorgon.

“I don't know!” Will whined as he leaned into the table more.

“Fireball him!” Lucas demanded, waving a hand towards the Demogorgon on the table in front of them.

“I'd have to roll a thirteen or higher!” Will advised the knight of their party, staring down at the figurine in front of him.

“Too risky. Cast a protection spell.” Dustin offered instead, hoping to god that Will makes the right choice.

“Don't be a pussy. Fireball him!” Lucas demanded once more instead, more forceful than the last time.

“Cast protection.” Dustin only repeated the right action as he glared down Lucas for such an absurd suggestion.

Mike slammed his hands on the table loudly once again. “The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering! It stomps towards you. Boom!” Mike announced dramatically as the other four panicked around him.

“Fireball him!” Lucas pleaded with Will this time.

“Another stomp, boom!”

“Cast Protection.” Dustin reminded, looking to the Elf player between himself and Will for help to sway Will's decision.

“He roars in anger!” Mike yells over them before Lucas and Dustin start yelling across the table at one another.

“Cast protection.” Erin advised in the middle of the chaos, but it went on deaf ears as a second later Will made his decision.

“Fireball!” Will announces before rolling the dice onto the table quickly.

….Only for the dice to them go skittering off the table and onto the floor.

“Oh shit!” Will snaps as the five of them leap out of their seats to find the dice quickly.

“Where'd it go?” Lucas questioned aloud as he looked around the basement floor for the dice. “Where is it?” Lucas asked as he and Will scurried to look for the dice.

“I don't know.” Will drops to his knees to look around on the floor.

“Is it a thirteen?” Dustin and Erin both asked at the same time, Dustin the last up from the table while Erin was already crawling around on the floor beside Mike in search.

“I don't know!”

“Where is it?”

“Mike!” A shout came from up the stairs.

“Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god! Oh, my god!” Dustin paced the floor holding his head in fear of the outcome of the roll while the other four continued searching.

“Mike!” The shout was louder this time.

“Can you find it yet?” Lucas asked as he bumped into Mike in the search.

“I can't find it!” Erin complained while starting to search further away from the table.

“Neither can I!” Will lamented and followed the black haired girls lead of searching farther away.

“Mike!” The door at the top of the stairs opened to reveal Mikes mom, Karen Wheeler, as the kids continued their hunt for the dice.

“Mom, we're in the middle of a campaign!” Mike reminded her from his kneeling position in front of the stairs, arms waved out around him in expression.

“Oh, you mean the end? Fifteen after.” Karen reminded her son with a tap on her wrist before turning around and walking away.

“Oh, my god! Freaking idiot!” Lucas snapped in the background as Mike jumped up and ran up the stairs after his Mom.

“Why do we have to go?” Will protested as Mike calling after his mom could be heard from up the stairs.

“How long have we been down here?” Erin asked as she continued searching with Will. Finally, luck decided to shine on them though.

“Oh, I got it!” Will yelled as he snatched up the dice at last. “Does a seven count?” Will asked as he regrouped with Lucas and Dustin, who were getting ready to leave.

“It was a seven?” Lucas asked as Erin scooted around him to grab her things and try to ignore the bad roll. “Did Mike see it?” Will shook his head. “Then it doesn't count.” Lucas clarified for Will.

Will joined the other three in getting ready to head home for the night.

With coats on and bags hanging on their backs, Lucas started up the stairs followed by Will and Erin.

“Yo, hey, guys.” Dustin drew their attention back as he held up the almost empty box of pizza they had been eating earlier. “Does anyone want this?” Dustin asked as he held the box up towards the three.

“No.” Lucas and Will answered at the same time.

“Why not ask Nancy.” Erin offered, making kissing noises towards Dustin as Lucas snickered from up the stairs.

“Good idea.” Dustin said with a tilt of his head before racing up the stairs after her when she followed after the others.

Erin followed him up towards Nancy's room just to see the reaction that would come from Mike's big sister, Dustin standing in the door and waving towards the teenage girl as Erin stood behind him. “Barb, no, I don't think so.” Nancy either didn't notice them due to her phone call or didn't care.

“Hey, Nancy.” Dustin called her name, and this time earned her attention. “There's a slice left if you want it. Sausage and pepperoni!” Dustin offered, Nancy rolling her eyes at him before telling Barb to hold on as she stood from her bed.

Walking towards them, Erin stepped beside Dustin with a face splitting grin to match his own toothless one. Right up until Nancy smiled back at them and slammed the door in their faces.

Dustin let the pizza box fall shut as he waved his hand in exasperation to being shut out, Erin snickering at him up until he looked at her with narrowed eyes. With a snort, she turned and ran back down the stairs.

Will and Lucas just got on their bikes when Erin made it outside and hopped on her own beside Will, Dustin arriving not a minute later. “There's something wrong with your sister.” Dustin said the moment he walked out, still sour about the encounter.

“What are you talking about?” Mike asked as Dustin walked past him to get on his bike.

“She's got a stick up her butt.” Dustin clarified before picking up his bike and hopping on.

“Yeah.” Lucas agreed with Dustin as he looked towards Mike. “It's because she's been dating that douche bag, Steve Harrington.” Lucas said as Mike rolled his eyes at two of his best friends words.

“Hey, at least you guys aren't babysat by him.” Erin reminded, Will snickering beside her as they all turned on the lights on their bikes.

“Yeah, she's turning into a real jerk.” Dustin continued on his rant about the girl who spurned his kind gesture.

“She's always been a real jerk.” Mike argued instead, turning to Erin for her agreement since she was around Nancy the most of all with how often she was over.

“I have to agree with Mike. You guys just can't see past the pretty face.” Erin argued on Mike's side, earning a disgusted look in turn from Mike but Dustin and Lucas looking at her ready to argue. When all she did was make a kissing sound yet again, they turned back around.

“Nuh-uh, she used to be cool. Like that time she dressed up as an elf for our Elder Tree campaign.” Dustin said before rolling out of the garage and down the driveway with Lucas right behind him.

“Four years ago!” Mike yelled after Dustin before he could get away.

“Just saying!” Dustin called back to him before he was gone.

“Later!” Lucas bid his farewell before he too was gone.

“Night, Mike!” Erin said with a smile before following after the other two, leaving Will behind with him.

“It was a seven.” Erin rolled her eyes as she faintly heard Will reveal what the roll had been to Mike.

Catching back up with the other two was no hard task, peddling up behind Lucas as they weaved around before Will too caught up. Before long, they were at Lucas' stop.

“Good night, ladies.” Lucas said with a wave goodbye to his three best friends.

“Kiss your mom 'night for me.” Dustin called after him before pulling ahead of Will and Erin as the other two made sounds of disgust at his words.

Seconds later, he turned to the other two with a grin.

“Race back to my place? Winner gets a comic.” Dustin offered, Will looking over Dustin's shoulder at Erin before they nodded in agreement to the terms.

“Any comic?” Will asked as they each peddled side by side.

“Yeah.” Dustin agreed as he looked to Erin on his other side.

With a nod, Will and Erin started to peddle ahead of Dustin.

“Hey! Hey! I didn't say go!” Dustin shouted after them as they raced off ahead of him.

“Get back here!”

“Make us!”

Will started to pull ahead as they reached a hill.

“I'm gonna kill you!” Dustin shouted after Will, his voice carrying throughout the neighborhood.

“I'll take your X-Men 134!” Will called back as he shot past Dustin's house, Erin slowing her peddle as she neared the Henderson mailbox to give Dustin a chance to catch up.

Huffing and puffing, he came to a stop beside her a second later with a defeated sigh. “Son of a bitch.” Dustin moaned as he tried to catch his breath, leaning on his handlebars before looking to the girl beside him.

“Guess you're one comic short now. Night, Dusty.” Erin teased, sticking her tongue out at him as she circled her bike around him before going across the street to her own house.

“Yeah, yeah. Kiss your babysitter night, tiny little Hobbit.” Dustin waved her off before starting up his driveway.

“I heard that, you rock loving Dwarf!” Dustin snorted at the shout he got back for the comment.

This was a normal night for the five best friends of Hawkins, Indiana. Spending the day in the basement of Mike's home while playing Dungeons and Dragons was one of their favorite past times.

Mike Wheeler, as the Dungeon Master, would lead Will the Wise, Lucas the Knight, Dustin the Dwarf and Erin the Elf on many a grand adventure together.

Hundreds of campaigns and even more so hours spent on their games, they were all the best of friends. Nothing would ever change that.

But no one could have ever predicted that this night in particular would start the beginning of a change, one that no one could have ever seen coming.

This night would make them wish that the old days never ended.

“Do you like Dungeons and Dragons?” A fourth grade Mike Wheeler asked the new kid of his class as his old friends stood around him, or in case of their one girl she stood behind him holding the back of his shirt.

The new kid, who held a unique lack of teeth that the rest of them had long since grown in and most kids were even starting to lose them to permanent teeth, tilted his head at him in response as he tucked a book into his bag. “You know what Dungeons and Dragons is? No one at my old school did!” This new kid went by the name Dustin, his parents having just moved them all to Hawkins, Indiana.

“Of course we know what it is, what are the kids at your old school a bunch of knuckleheads?” Lucas questioned as he raised his nose at how a different school didn't know the wonder of the game.

Mike turned to Lucas, but before he could yell at his best friend for ruining his chance to get a new member in their party Will stepped towards Dustin.

“Hi, I'm Will Byers.” Will held a hand out to Dustin with a big, warm smile that could make anyone having a bad day smile.

“My names Dustin Henderson.” Dustin introduced, shaking Will's hand before Mike stepped forward to greet him as well.

“My name's Mike Wheeler. This is Lucas-”

“I can say my own name!”

Mike glared at Lucas beside him as Lucas stepped up and shook Dustin's hand.

“Lucas Sinclair, I'm our parties Knight when we play.” Lucas introduced himself with a proud smile. “What do you play as?” Lucas asked, not lessening his critical view of the new boy who Mike and Will were trying to introduce into their already perfectly fine friend group.

“I'm a Dwarf.” Dustin revealed with a proud smile of his own now, turning to Mike as he heard a snort of amusement come from his way.

“Oh, this is Erin Wakeman.” Mike gestured behind his back to where the only girl that didn't call them nerds or mock them was hiding behind him.

Dustin tilted his head to the side to see a small girl with black hair and the brightest blue eyes he's ever seen look back at him. “Hi!” Dustin greeted her with a big smile before remembering that no one here knew about his Cleidocranial Dysplasia. He braced for the oncoming taunts or laughing he was used to from his last school.

Instead, he was greeted by a tilt of her head away from Mike to look back at him. Curiosity filled her once nervous gaze instead.

“She doesn't talk much.” Lucas spoke up instead of teasing him, rolling his eyes at how even after her having been here for a while now she still didn't really talk. At least not out in public like this.

“She's shy, Lucas.” Mike reminded, always the first to defend their most recent addition to the party. She's been with them since she came to town two years ago. Hopefully, this new kid will be their next addition though.

“That's alright, I get it.” Dustin assured, while not shy himself he has known plenty of shy kids from his old school.

“Dwarves are inferior.” All four boys turned their heads quickly when the shy girl actually spoke, Mike even stepping to the side to look at her fully.

Lucas began snickering behind a hand to his mouth as Mike and Will just stared at her in shock for the random comment about Dwarves.

“Excuse me?” Dustin asked, just staring back at her for her comment about his D&D race.

“I'm sure she was just kidding.” Mike reasoned, looking to Erin to correct herself so they don't risk a potential new friend.

She just stared back at him for a moment before setting her gaze on the new boy instead. “Dwarves are inferior.” Erin repeated herself, speaking up this time.

Now Will began giggling along with Lucas as they each took a step back from the scene unfolding.

“Let me guess, are you an Elf?” Dustin asked instead, narrowing his eyes at the girl that was supposedly shy. When she nodded her head, he snorted before rubbing his nose. “Of course you are, you're just jealous of us Dwarves like you've always been.” Dustin teased, smirking down at the blue eyed girl that challenged his race in the first place.

“Hey can we not?” Mike interrupted them, because while he was surprised that Erin was being so bold at school for once he really wanted to make a new friend today.

“Jealous?” Erin spoke again instead of taking Mike's hint not to ruin this. “Why would an Eldar be jealous of a Khuzd?” Erin asked, standing up more confidently and speaking more passionately than the other three boys who knew her were used to seeing her do when out in public.

“Oh, here she goes.” Lucas sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead.

“Erin please don't.” Mike begged, more than willing to let her get her love of Elves and Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit out later when they have a new party member.

“You know the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings?” Dustin was unfazed by her though, instead very excited that there was someone else who read the books that he's loved since first he read them.

“We all do.” Will admitted with a small smile, laughing softly when Erin's confidence over her favorite books faded and she once again hid against Mike for safety.

“So....do you want to come over? We were about to start planning for our next campaign.” Mike revealed, relieved he wasn't scared away by Erin.

“Sure!” Dustin said excitedly, slinging his backpack over his shoulders.

“I honestly didn't expect this to go so well.” Will admitted to Lucas as Mike walked out of the classroom with Dustin, both talking about the now up and coming campaign that would involve their new friend.

“You know Mike. He can make anyone a friend if he really wants to.” Lucas said with a shrug as they followed after their leader.

“As long as they like the same stuff we do.” Erin piped up from beside Will this time, far safer near them now than near the newcomer.

“You didn't even know what Dungeons and Dragons or Lord of the Rings was before you got here.” Lucas reminded Erin with a knowing smirk, as the three of them had to teach her a lot when she first joined them two years previous.

“You learned quick though. You're a true Elf.” Will complimented, smiling widely at Erin as she smiled right back at him.

“Better than a Dwarf.” Both Lucas and Will snorted in amusement at her very elf like disdain for the Dwarves, before looking back ahead at their Dungeon Master and their parties new Dwarf.

And so began the brightest of friendships in Hawkins. When a party of four became five, it grew not only in size but in friendship and happiness. If you asked any of them, they would say it truly felt complete when their last member arrived.

So began the countless campaigns and endless hours in Mikes basement, and many more hours of running off outside to role play as their characters or explore the area of their town that they unofficially renamed Mirkwood.

In honor of their favorite books that brought them closer together.

Racing off into the summer night to catch fireflies or polliwogs, coming home scraped up and dirty to parents who now were used to it. Hiding out in Mikes basement from the bullies who didn't understand any of them, either playing their favorite game or just hanging out.

Competing in the Science Fair all together at school and winning almost every time. Having their own club all to themselves, well minus Mr. Clarke but he was one of their favorite adults so he was always welcome.

Having many many debates about Dungeons and Dragons or books that they read, that sometimes had to end with shaking hands and just letting it go because they weren't required to share the same opinions just because they were best friends.

Some people would say you can only truly have one Best Friend, there is only room for one. But if you ask the party, one isn't anywhere near enough or okay by them.

They each had four best friends.

Five was the perfect number for them, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Everything has to change eventually though. The party may not want it, but it's going to happen.

And it just so happens it's going to happen tonight. Even as Mike settles in for bed, or Lucas yells back and forth across his house at his little sister.

Or Dustin wishes his turtle Yurtle goodnight as he settles in bed with a book. Even Erin, who tries everything in her might to get her babysitter Steve to go back to his own house.

Because on the night of November 6th, 1983, a night that started out just like any other night, Will Byers disappeared without a trace.

So sparking the beginning of the change of their lives, and the ultimate test of their friendships.


	2. The Disappearance of Will Byers

A knock on the Wheelers front door pulls Karen away from setting out breakfast for her family, smiling when she opened it to see one of her favorite meal time guests. “Good morning, sweetie. Come on in.” Karen opened the door for Erin before giving her a quick hug.

“My parents should be home soon, you don't have to-”

“Nonsense, you know how much we love having you.” Karen dismissed Erin's attempt to be courteous without hesitation, loving having her over. It's like having another daughter.

After ushering her into the dining room, she went back to setting the table for her family. Plus one.

“Morning, Mike.” Erin greeted as he tiredly dragged himself into the room and sat down beside her.

“Morning.” Mike greeted through a yawn, pulling his glass of orange juice to him to take a drink.

Before long the rest of the family joined them to eat breakfast. Erin watched as Mike poured syrup onto his eggs, raising an eyebrow at the odd idea he came up with.

“That's disgusting.” Nancy commented as the phone rang in the background.

“You're disgusting.” Mike retaliated, taking a bite of his syrup covered eggs for emphasis. Erin almost gagged at the idea.

Until Mike reached over and poured syrup onto Nancy's eggs, who opened her mouth in shock at what her little brother did.

“What the hell, Mike?!” Nancy snapped at him as Mike and Erin snickered together.

“Hey!”

“Quiet!”

“Language!”

“Are you kidding?” Nancy turned to her dad with an appalled look at how she was in trouble when it was Mike that ruined her eggs.

“Will? No, no, no, that's just the kids.”

Mike and Erin continued giggling at Nancy's annoyance, completely missing Karen mentioning their friends name.

“Just because you want syrup on your food doesn't mean you can ruin mine!” Nancy snapped at Mike, who then reached over and poured syrup onto Erin's toast as she was about to take a bite.

“Hey!”

“Mike knock it off!”

“Quiet, kids! No, he left here a little bit after eight. Why, he's not home?” Karen continued on with her phone call as Erin glared Mike down for ruining her cinnamon toast.

Mike just continued laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world to ruin the girls food, up until Erin kicked his shin under the table. “Hey!”

“Mouth breather.”

“Knucklehead.”

“Brats!”

“Hey, stop it all of you!” Ted demanded the children to stop as he dropped his newspaper onto the table and stared all three of them down.

“Why am I the one who gets in trouble?” Nancy snapped back at her father, Mike and Erin beginning to scarf down their food quick to avoid the impending debacle that would come from Nancy sassing back.

As they were about to head out the door to school, Mike's mom stopped them. “That was Will's mom on the phone. She thinks he went to school early today since he wasn't home this morning, so when you see him tell him to go down to the office and call his mom.” Karen asked of the two twelve year old kids as they exchanged a look at the strange situation Will put himself in.

“Okay, bye!” And the two were gone to head to school.

Peddling off on their bikes to get to school, they soon were joined by Lucas and Dustin. “Did you guys get a call from Will's mom this morning?” Lucas asked as he rode between Mike and Erin.

“Yeah, she called in the middle of breakfast. We didn't really notice.” Erin said with a quick glare at a now smirking Mike.

“What did he do?” Dustin asked as he looked between the two.

Erin rolled her eyes at Mike when he just turned to her to wait for her to give the reveal, speeding up to get to school before them.

“Hey wait up!”

The ride to school was short from their neighborhood, the kids peddling around fellow students with ease until they were pulling into the bike racks like they do every morning.

“That's weird. I don't see him.” Mike commented after they all locked their bikes up.

“I'm telling you, his Mom's right. He probably just went to class early again.” Lucas reminded as they started to walk away from the bike rack.

“Yeah, he's always paranoid Gursky's gonna give him another pop quiz.” Dustin mused as he trailed behind the other three, Erin snorting at his comment which in turn made him snicker a bit himself as he stepped up beside her.

“Step right up, ladies and gentlemen.”

All four kids tensed up at the voice that interrupted what was actually a decent morning, turning to face the biggest bullies of their school. Troy and James.

“Step right up and get your tickets for the freak show. Who do you think would make more money in a freak show?” Troy asked with a sadistic grin as he stood before the four friends.

Troy took a step closer until he was close enough that each of them could actually smell his putrid breath. “Midnight?” Troy punched Lucas in the shoulder hard enough to make him take a step back.

“Frog Face?” Repeated the same action to Mike, who kept his eyes down and off the bully.

“Toothless?” Once again, he punched Dustin in the shoulder who flinched back away from the bully.

“I think I'd rather take Bright Eyes for myself, so we'll keep her out of the freak show.” Troy's words dripped with flirtation and narcissism as he twirled a strand of black hair that had dropped in front of her eyes, until she pushed his hand away from her face with a glare.

Mike and Dustin took a step forward to keep her behind their shoulders in defense.

Troy took a step back as James sighed and held a hand up in thought. “I'd go with toothless.” James announced, mocking Dustin's lisp.

“I told you a million times, my teeth are coming in.” Dustin corrected the bullies defiantly. “It's called Cleidocranial Dysplasia.”

“'I told you a million times.'” James just mocked Dustin and his lisp once again, snickering with Troy.

“Do the arm thing.” Troy demanded, pointing to Dustin's arms for emphasis as the boy in question shook his head in frustration.

“Do it, freak!” James demanded more aggressively this time, leaning closer to the four.

Dustin sighed before taking off his bag and jacket, letting them drop to the ground before reaching his arms out and cracking them as demanded. Troy and James both recoiled in disgust, groaning at the action.

“God! It gets me every time!” Troy commented before the two of them shoved Mike and Lucas by the shoulder and walked past them. Before they got too far though, Troy reached over and flicked another strand of Erin's hair with a malicious grin before they left.

Erin shuddered in disgust at being touched by him. “Assholes.” Lucas growled once they were far enough away.

“I think it's kinda cool.” Mike just let the bullying roll of his shoulders as he complimented Dustin to try to keep him from feeling down about himself. “It's like you have superpowers or something. Like Mr. Fantastic.”

“Yeah, except I can't fight evil with it.” Dustin reminded, self deprecating even though he knew Mike was being genuine. The four of them started to walk again, Dustin moving to the back of the group to make sure Erin was between himself and Mike.

Safe from that scum bag who harassed her.

From then, school went relatively normal for the most part. Minus the fact that Will still hadn't shown up. Come lunch time, the four even tried looking around for him. But they couldn't find him, so they assumed he probably just went back home.

By recess, they had let it slip from their mind as the kids gathered outside and Mike and Lucas discussed the continuation of last nights campaign.

“We could definitely finish it this weekend.” Mike assured Lucas, nodding his head as the two of them mapped out a road map in the dirt beneath them of how to continue from the Demogorgon encounter.

“We'll be ignoring Will's seven though. Fresh roll.” Lucas reminded, not willing to give up on that ten hour campaign so easily just because Will had a bad roll.

“Yeah, sure.” Mike agreed, neither of them noticing, or maybe not caring, that the other two members of the party currently at school didn't seem to care discussing the campaign.

Dustin was reading a book on a bench near them, happily in his own world where no one bullied him because of his Dysplasia. Enjoying a world that he liked much more than this one right then.

Beside him, Erin was scribbling away in a note pad given to her by Will, gnawing on her lower lip as she focused on her work.

“Oh look, it's the freaks again.” Mike and Lucas sighed as Dustin pulled his nose out of his book.

Troy and James were back again, standing in front of the group with their arms crossed over their chest. “They're playing in the dirt, they really are freaks.” James mocked before Troy began kicking the scribbling that Mike and Lucas had been doing in the dirt.

“Come on, man.” Lucas groaned out loud, waving his hands out at how they ruined everything before they had a chance to get it written down.

“You have something to say, Midnight?” Troy asked and James immediately got in Lucas' face, who paled and looked down in submission. “That's what I thought.” Troy laughed at him, before turning his attention on the other three.

Dustin shrunk in on himself while Mike just stared back at him silently, knowing there was no real way of avoiding them or point in fighting back because it would make it worse.

Troy walked past Mike with a shove to his shoulder before leaning down and snatching the notepad Erin had been scribbling in still, the girl only then noticing they were there. “Hey!”

“What ya drawling, Bright Eyes?” Troy asked, smirking her way before turning the pad to himself and looking down at the crudely done drawing of what appeared to be Will in mage robes. “What is this? Is this supposed to be the queer?” Troy questioned, nose turned up at the drawing.

“Give it back.” Lucas demanded, not caring if they messed with him or Mike but the moment they mess with a girl, but not just any girl their best friend, all bets were off.

Troy laughed openly at the demand, turning to Lucas as he held the notepad up tauntingly. “What was that, Midnight? I was too busy laughing at how this drawing looks almost as bad as the queer himself.” Troy mocked, the boys all looking to the girl who drew it as she glared more sharply at him for the insult.

“Come on, man, just give it back.” Dustin got into the middle of it this time, standing up to take it back himself even if it meant he would deal with the fallout.

“What was that, Toothless?” James stepped up and got in Dustin's face, squaring his shoulders as he glared down at the freak.

“Oh my god, what the hell is that?” Erin spoke finally, pointing off into the distance.

Troy and James immediately looked off in the direction Erin pointed at, and the moment they did the little girl jumped up and snatched her notepad back from the bully.

Troy whirled around in time to watch her leap over the bench she had been sitting on and race off towards the school. “Get back here, Bright Eyes! You're lucky you're hot otherwise I'd be a lot more rough!” Troy shouted after the girl before he and James started running after her.

“Shit.” The other three boys started running after them to help Erin in the event that she's caught.

This was a rare occurrence, when Erin would just run away from the bullies instead of fall behind one of them. But it was a new technique, tricking them before running off. They never quiet could catch her though. Being small, nimble and fast had it's perks for her.

The bell rang before they could even get close, everyone filing back into the building and giving not only the girl running away but her best friends the much needed escape they needed.

“You're insane.” Lucas commented later on as they sat down in Science with Mr. Clarke.

“Hey, she's fast just like an Elf.” Dustin mused as he pulled out his textbook and dropped it on his desk.

“Will will appreciate that you tried, by the way.” Mike reminded Erin, knowing she was drawing him because she wanted to help if he was home sick or something. “We can't all draw like Will, but yours is actually really good.” Mike assured her with a warm smile.

Erin smiled back at him, grateful to have Mike to perk her up when she's feeling down. All of them help her actually, they're always there for each other. Just this time Will isn't here, who was the one teaching her how to draw better.

“Should draw one of us next time.” Erin narrowed her eyes at Dustin, who was half turned to look back at her with a teasing smile.

“Alright, kids, let's get started.” The conversation was cut short by Mr. Clarke finally beginning class.

Before long, that too was over.

“Remember, finish chapter twelve and answer twelve point three on the differences between an experiment and other forms of science investigation! This will be on the test, which will cover chapters ten through twelve. It will be multiple choice, with an essay section.” Mr. Clarke advised the class, trailing off at the end as no one seemed to be listening.

Turning back to the front of his desk, the party stood with excited smiles plastered on their faces.

“So, did it come?” Mike asked, almost bouncing with excitement.

“Sorry, boys and girl.” All four of their smiles faltered at Mr. Clarke's somber words. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but... it came.” Mr. Clarke revealed with a smile at the end, all of them perking up excitedly before they rushed for the door to head to the AV room.

After a quick jog through the halls, Mike was the first to rush into the AV room to be greeted by the thing they've waited so long to see in their school. “Yes!” Mike said excitedly as he immediately took a seat at the table.

“The Heathkit ham shack.” Mr. Clarke introduced the electronic to the excited children.

“Whoa.” Mike said as he pulled on the headphones and began trying to use their new favorite thing about the school.

“Ain't she a beaut?” Mr. Clarke asked, excited himself because of how happy this would make the kids.

“I bet you can talk to New York on this thing.” Dustin said as he started helping Mike to set it up.

“Think bigger.” Mr. Clarke offered, using his hands to emphasize his point.

“California?” Lucas asked, almost not believing it.

“Bigger.” Mr. Clarke's smile even grew bigger.

“Australia?” Mike asked, mouth agape in awe at the sheer power of the Heathkit ham shack. When Mr. Clarke nodded, all four of them oohed in amazement.

“Oh, man! When Will sees this, he's totally gonna blow his shit!” Lucas said excitedly, grinning ear to ear to match the other three.

“Lucas!” Mr. Clarke immediately was on him for cussing.

“Sorry...” Lucas apologized, but didn't seem to remorseful as he was still too busy being in awe of their new Heathkit.

Dustin and Erin both chuckled at his blunder, but went back to focusing on the electronic.

After some brief tuning performed by Mike and Dustin, Mike leaned towards the microphone. “Hello, this is Mike Wheeler, president of Hawkins Middle AV Club.” Mike announced in an Australian accent.

Dustin grabbed the headset off his head and leaned towards the mic then. “What are you doing?” Lucas asked as Mike laughed at Dustin's excitement, Lucas giggling a little himself while Erin leaned onto Mike's shoulders to get closer herself.

“Hello, this is Dustin and this is the treasurer of the Hawkins Middle AV Club.” Dustin introduced himself with an Australian accent of his own. “Do you eat kangaroos for breakfast?” All three of his friends burst into laughter at his question.

Next, Lucas pulled the headphones off of Dustin's head as he went to take his own turn, Erin trying to jump in herself before they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Sorry to interrupt, but, uh, may I borrow Michael, Lucas, Dustin and Erin?” The Principal was the one at the door, all four kids looking to him in surprise as to what the principal wanted with them.

Until they noticed the chief of police behind him, and they all turned to one another in worry over what was going on.

They were sat next to each other in the Principals office, each talking over one another as they tried to explain to Chief Hopper about the route Will would take home at night. They knew he didn't come to school, but they would have never guessed Will would go missing.

“Okay, okay, okay. One at a time, all right? You.” Chief Hopper pointed to Mike to speak first as the other three went quiet. “You said he takes what?”

“Mirkwood.” Mike answered simply.

“Mirkwood?” Hopper questioned, not sure what street they were referring to.

“Yeah.” Mike assured him more quietly at seeing Hopper's doubt.

“Have you ever heard of Mirkwood?” Hopper asked the other officer sat beside him.

“I have not. That sounds made up to me.” The second officer answered as he scribbled down everything on a note pad.

“No, it's from Lord of the Rings.” Lucas corrected the adult, staring back at Hopper instead of the second officer.

“The Hobbit.” Dustin and Erin both corrected him at the same time, Mike glaring weakly at the two.

“It doesn't matter.” Lucas said while turning to them with a face of annoyance and his hands outstretched in disbelief that they thought this would matter.

“He asked!” Dustin argued, getting just as annoyed as Lucas as Mike turned his eyes to the floor in annoyance over the two.

“'He asked!'” Lucas mocked Dustin's words, punctuating his words with a wave of a hand.

“Shut up, guys!” Mike finally snapped at the two bickering boys on opposite ends of the couch.

“Hey, hey, hey! What did I just say?” Hopper questioned the kids who didn't seem to understand how to listen to him and what he tells them not to do. “One at a damn time. Now, you.” He nodded towards Mike again.

“Mirkwood, it's a real road. It's just the name that's made up. It's where Cornwallis and Kerley meet.” Mike explained calmly, happy that Lucas and Dustin were quiet finally.

“Yeah, all right, I think I know that--”

“We can show you, if you want.” Mike interrupted the Chief, sitting forward more on the couch.

“I said that I know it!” Chief Hopper corrected the kid that spoke over him.

“We can help look.” Mike said more firmly this time, not wanting to take no for an answer. This was their best friend, they wanted to help find him.

“No.” Hopper shot him down without missing a beat. The four then began trying harder to get him to agree, but it was met again and again with a no. “After school, you are all to go home. Immediately. That means no biking around looking for your friend, no investigating, no nonsense. This isn't some Lord of the Rings book. This is real life.” Hopper said firmly, visibly annoyed by the children in front of him.

“The Hobbit.” Dustin corrected him almost as soon as he stopped talking.

“Shut up!” Lucas leaned over and smacked Dustin's leg, inadvertently shoving into Mike who then shoved into Erin. Dustin then leaned over and smacked Lucas back.

“Stop it!” Mike barked at the two, shoving each of their arms away but instead they shoved him and then continued hitting one another. Erin leaned over Mike to smack at Lucas for shoving her, who swatted her hand away and then Mike smacked at Lucas himself for swatting at a girl.

“Do I make myself clear?” Hopper questioned the kids, speaking scarily softly for the person that he was usually. When the four just stared back at him in silence, he stood up and leaned down to their eye level. “Do I make myself... clear?” Hopper asked again, more threatening this time as the four leaned back into the couch to try to get away.

Reluctantly, each of them nodded in agreement to Hoppers demand. “Yes, sir.”

Dustin poked at his food on his plate, chin resting on his open palm as he stared down at his dinner. He didn't really have an appetite tonight. “Dusty, are you alright?” Mrs. Henderson asked from the kitchen sink where she was washing her own dish.

“I'm not hungry.” Dustin said, pushing his plate away from him before standing from the table.

“Not hungry? But you're always excited for our pasta night.” Mrs. Henderson reminded as Dustin walked over and dropped the plate onto the counter beside her.

“I'm going to my room.” Dustin said without a word to her worry, walking away.

Mrs. Henderson watched him go quietly, worried for her son but understanding that he was only worried for his friend. She took the plate to go put it away until he's ready for it.

Dustin barely laid down on his bed when his Super Comm that was on his desk started to crackle with static, standing up to go grab it. “... there Dwarf? Over.”

Dustin picked it up and held it to his mouth. “I'm here, Elf.” Dustin answered, sitting down at his desk instead of back on his bed.

“You have to say Over when you're done. Over.” Dustin rolled his eyes, not in the mood for the usual back and forth between them. He was too worried about their other friend tonight.

“What is it, Elf? Over.” Dustin hissed the last word quietly, knowing he needed to stay positive but he didn't want to just sit around like this.

“Steve just left to go see Nancy, so I'm sneaking out to go look for Will. Over.” Dustin immediately shot up out of his chair at the words that crackled through his super comm.

“What do you mean you're going to go look for Will? You can't go out alone at night, Erin. Over.” Dustin almost forgot to end it the proper way, because he was busy being the defender of their Elf since the other three couldn't do it.

“But I won't be alone. Because you and I both know if I thought of it Mike's already doing it. Over.” Dustin opened his mouth to counter, but he couldn't disagree because that was actually true. Mike always was the first to come up with most of their ideas.

“Meet me at your garage. We'll go join him and Lucas. Over and Out.” Dustin said before pushing the antenna on his Super Comm down.

After grabbing her from her house, they took off on their bikes and easily found Mike and Lucas already out and ready to go. Before long, they were coasting down Mirkwood towards where there was barricades set up to stop people from going into the woods. “This is it.” Lucas said with finality as they came to a stop next to the woods.

The sky above them rumbled loudly with thunder, the forewarning to a storm brewing. “Hey, guys. You feel that?” Dustin asked, reaching a hand up towards the sky that sounded ready to open up above. “I think maybe we should go back.” Dustin tried to reason with them, but they were already off their bikes.

“No. We're not going back. Just stay close.” Mike said instead, serious and firm about the decision. “Come on.” Mike urged as he lifted the police tape and started to walk into the trees, Erin and Lucas right behind him. “Just stay on channel six, and don't do anything stupid.”

The sky rumbled with another crack of thunder above. “Hey, guys, wait up!” Dustin raced after them, not wanting to be left all alone out here. Especially not when the sky right then did open and the rain began to fall. “Wait up!”

Soon it turned into a torrential downpour, the kids continuing on as they called out for Will. “Will!”

“Will!”

“Byers!”

“I've got your X-Men 134!”

“Guys, I really think we should turn back.” Dustin said as they came into a clearing, having been searching for a while now in this storm.

“Seriously, Dustin?” Erin asked, glaring his way through the rain.

“You wanna be a baby, then go home already!” Lucas snapped at the scared member of their troupe.

“I'm just being realistic, Lucas!” Dustin snapped back at him.

“No, you're just being a big sissy!” Lucas barked in response to his supposed realistic view.

“Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going to the exact same spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?” Dustin asked, waving his hands out around him for emphasis.

“Dustin, shut up.” Mike tried to quiet him as he looked out into the darkness before them.

“I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?” Dustin asked instead of listening.

“Shut up.” Erin shushed him this time, as they began to hear rustling around them.

“Did you guys hear that?” Mike asked as they stopped their walk to listen to the sound.

They pivoted to look behind them at the rustling sound, shining their flashlights only to see nothing. But then the sound moved, and they all turned with a gasp as their lights caught something mere feet from them.

A girl, a girl with a shaved head and no coat or jacket or even shoes.

The four just stared at her in surprise, no one able to say a word.

They came out here looking for Will. But this wasn't Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I wrote this one out a lot faster than I thought I would. I honestly didn't expect to have time to finish this one so quick. I really enjoyed the humorous bits though, like breakfast at the Wheelers for instance. Please tell me that no one actually puts straight syrup on their eggs, though. Just...no.**
> 
> **Still getting back into the swing of things, but I hope this chapter was better than the last one. It was a bit less scripted at least, since I had to fill in the gaps of time that weren't shown on the show.**
> 
> **Question time, do you guys like the current point of view, or do you want it first person and just switch between characters? I kind of like this one I'm working with, but I'm also a bigger fan of first person since it's a lot more in depth and descriptive. At least in the stuff I read, anyways. Please, let me know your preferences!**
> 
> **Thank you so much for reading, and for giving this a chance! I'll see you all next time!**


	3. The Strange Girl

The four party members stood in front of her, silently watching her as they each tried to figure out what the hell is going on and what to do. “Is there a number we can call for your parents?” Mike was the first to speak, the girl looking up at him as he spoke.

“Where's your hair? Do you have cancer?” Dustin asked with a distinct lack of filter or possible sensitivity.

“Did you run away?” Lucas asked, himself and the other two choosing to ignore Dustin's comment.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?” Mike asked, the girl just looking between each of them dazedly. She hadn't spoken a word at all since they've found her.

“Is that blood?” Erin asked, Lucas reaching out towards her soaked shirt that held a marking of red on it.

“Stop it! You're freaking her out!” Mike chastised Lucas after smacking his hand away from the strange girl.

“She's freaking me out!” Lucas countered as he waved a hand towards the girl.

“I bet she's deaf.” Dustin came back with another out there comment.

“She's not deaf.” Erin argued, meeting Dustin's gaze before he proceeded to loudly clap his hands together. Everyone, the girl included, flinched at the sudden loud noise.

“Not deaf.” Dustin surmised with a shrug of his shoulders, ignoring the sigh of annoyance that came from the short girl beside him.

“Alright, that's enough, alright? She's just scared and cold.” Mike said, glancing towards the girl who looked back at him with an unwavering gaze that made him feel weird. When the thunder of the storm outside clapped again, he turned around to go over to the laundry and see if he could find her some dry clothes.

Erin watched as the girl flinched from another clap of thunder before turning around and following after Mike, shoving what he had chosen so far out of his hands. “She can't wear boxer briefs or shorts, Mike. She's soaking wet and it's only getting colder. She needs something warm.” Erin lectured him as she dumped the laundry basket to find something easier.

Fortunately, the two of them found a pair of sweatpants and a heavier shirt for her. Mike walked back over to her with clothes in hand. “Here, these are clean. Okay?” Mike offered, the unknown girl gently taking them from him.

She then sniffed them before rubbing the soft fabric of the clothing against her face. The four friends just watched her for a moment, before she took of Mikes jacket. When she stood up and reached for her shirt, the boys all yelled out in surprise.

“No, no, no!” Mike yelped as he quickly stopped the girl from taking her shirt off in front of them, Erin grabbing the clean shirt and holding it out in front of her to prevent the other two currently freaking out boys from seeing anything if she continued.

“Oh, my god. Oh, my god. Oh, my god.”

“Oh stop, it's not like you two haven't seen worse.” Erin said with a shake of her head at Dustin and Lucas' freak out.

“See over there? T-that's the bathroom. Privacy, get it?” Mike asked as he pointed over towards the bathroom in the corner of the basement, face flush with embarrassment over almost having seen some strange girl change in front of himself and his friends.

Erin rolled her eyes at the boys before gesturing towards the bathroom for the girl. “Boys are overly dramatic, come on I'll show you to the bathroom.” Erin offered, giving the frightened girl a smile to help ease her before she started towards the bathroom herself.

Once inside, the two were once more joined by Mike who went to close the door behind the stranger. Her hand caught it before it could shut. “You don't want it closed?” Mike asked, confused since when Erin would be over she'd close and lock the door behind her.

“No.” The girl finally spoke, Mike and Erin both looking back at her in surprise for a moment.

“Oh, so you can speak.” Mike realized, smiling a little for a moment. “Okay, well... Um, how about we just keep the door... just like this?” Mike asked as he closed the door until it was opened but just a crack. “Better?” Mike asked, keeping his hand on the door in case it wasn't enough.

“Yes.” The girl answered, her words flat and her eyes never leaving Mike.

Erin pursed her lips, a little put off by how intense the girls gaze was on Mike before he gave her a thumbs up and turned to walk away and let her change. When the girls eyes shifted to her, Erin started to shrink in on herself a little at the intensity. “When you're done come on back out.” Erin offered with a smile she hoped didn't seem to forced before walking away too.

“This is mental.” Dustin's comment words drew her back out of her shell once she was back beside them.

“At least she can talk.” Mike reminded, since she finally spoke even though they found her like an hour or two ago and she hadn't said a word the entire way here.

“She said “no” and “yes.” Your three year old sister says more.” Lucas reminded in turn, since obviously this was not normal.

“She tried to get naked.” All three turned their gazes towards Dustin for the unhelpful reminder of what almost happened.

“There's something seriously wrong with her. Like, wrong in the head.” Lucas continued on, pointing at his own head for emphasis.

“Hey, that's uncalled for.” Erin pointed out, the snide comments not welcome when they didn't even know her.

“She just went like...” Dustin acted like he was lifting his own shirt, pulling his arms up and accidentally knocking his hat off in the process.

Mike and Erin leveled him with a glare for still being on this subject while Lucas chose to ignore.

“I bet she escaped from Pennhurst.” Lucas theorized while emphasizing his words with his hands.

“From where?” Mike asked, obviously not amused by Lucas assuming things about a girl they don't even know.

“The nuthouse in Kerley County.” Lucas revealed, turning to Dustin when he noticed his mischievous smile.

“You got a lot of family there?” Dustin asked teasingly, Mike rolling his eyes at the lack of seriousness between the two.

“Bite me.” Lucas retorted, glaring his friend down who just kept smiling. “Seriously though, think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy.” Lucas said while tapping a finger against his temple to try to get Mike to understand easier.

“Why she went like...” Dustin reenacted the same scene again, lifting his arms up quick into the air.

“She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho.” Lucas continued instead of giving up trying to convince the others.

“Like Michael Myers.” Dustin realized, mouth agape at the idea that someone that dangerous could be in this very basement with them.

“Exactly!”

“Okay, stop it you two.” Erin interrupted the two conspiring boys with a wave of her hands between them.

“We should've never brought her here.” Lucas said as he shoved Erin's hands away, the girl glaring at him for a moment before Mike finally stopped them himself.

“So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?” Mike questioned with a glare at his best friend for being so cold towards the poor girl.

“Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem.” Lucas reminded Mike of what their actual objective was. To find Will, to find their friend. Not some weird strange girl with a shaved head who barely speaks.

“I think we should tell your mom.”

“I second that.”

“Oh because that's not a horrible idea.”

“Who's crazy now?” Mike asked the two who wanted to go up to his Mom.

“How is that crazy?” Lucas asked, beginning to raise his voice from frustration that Mike wouldn't listen to reason.

“'Cause, we weren't supposed to be out tonight, remember?” Mike reminded him of the fact that, technically, they all broke the rules and went out without their parents knowledge.

“So if he tells his mom, she'll tell your mom, and your mom, and my mom.” Erin continued what Mike was getting at while pointing to each boy for emphasis, both of them paling as they realized what that meant.

“Oh, man.”

“Our houses become Alcatraz.”

“Exactly. We'll never find Will.” Mike finished, glad that the conspiracy theory moment was done and they finally realized just how much trouble they could all get in.

Lucas stood silently with his arms folded, looking up at Dustin when he yet again acted like he was taking his shirt off to remind them all of what the girl did.

His hat smacked him in the side of the face a second later.

“Alright, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight.” Mike revealed, both Lucas and Dustin's jaws dropping for a moment.

“You're letting a girl--”

“Just listen!” Mike stopped Dustin before he could start this time.

“Did you just forget that I'm a girl or ignore it?” Erin interrupted Mike this time, glaring at Dustin at insinuating she wasn't a girl since she had slept over Mike's house many times before.

“Listen!” Mike said it louder this time. “In the morning, she sneaks around my house, goes to the front door and rings my doorbell. My mom will answer and know exactly what to do. She'll send her back to Pennhurst or wherever she comes from. We'll be totally in the clear. Then tomorrow night, we go back out. And this time, we find Will.” Mike explained to the three, unwilling to try any other plan or argue about it anymore. This was the plan, this is what is going to happen. Then, they're going to go get Will back.

Lucas, Dustin and Erin all exchanged a glance but said nothing more. Once Mike makes up his mind, there's no changing it.

A few minutes later, Mike had set up a pillow fort in the basement for the girl to sleep in and his other three friends were getting ready to leave as they watched him bring the girl his sleeping bag.

“You really think she's a psycho?” Dustin asked Lucas as the three of them stood on the stairs.

“Wouldn't want her in my house.” Lucas replied with a shake of his head before heading up the stairs to go home.

Dustin looked back down at Mike and the girl and sighed. “Mental.” Dustin said simply before he too pounded his way up the stairs to get home.

Erin stood there for a moment, watching the encounter between Mike and the stranger and how he was so open and friendly. For a moment it brought back a memory of when they first met, before she sighed and started up the stairs herself. With her luck, she'll probably get caught if she doesn't hurry.

Lucas and Dustin were already on their bikes before she even got outside, pulling her hood up over her head to avoid the rain and hopping onto her own to catch up to them.

The ride was silent aside from the crack of thunder in the sky above them. In no time, Lucas was home and then she and Dustin were in front of their own homes. “Umm...hey wait a sec.” Erin was stopped from going up her drive by Dustin's voice raising above the thunder.

“If I don't hurry babysitter Steve might catch me, Dwarf.” Erin reminded, nodding towards her dimly lit house across from his own.

“Don't go trying to sneak out again, alright?” Dustin asked, eyes on the road beneath them instead of looking up at her. “Or at least radio me or something like you did tonight. We don't....you know it's hard enough knowing Will's missing but if you went missing too...” Dustin trailed off and Erin stared back at him for a moment.

Thunder rumbled above them again as they sat in silence for a moment. Yes, the boys were very protective of her because of the fact that she was a girl. Albeit a tomboy, still a girl. But it was unusual for Dustin to be so outright about it. Usually he showed it through teasing or taunting.

“I know, I promise I'll radio you if I consider it again.” Erin said shyly, not liking the idea that she worried him. All she wants is to get Will back, for their party to be whole again. Hell, even to just know he's safe would be enough right now.

“I miss him too, you know.” Dustin reminded, their eyes finally meeting as he gave her a soft smile.

Erin was glad for once that it was raining as her lip trembled, not wanting to admit aloud just how scared she was that something bad had really happened to Will.

“We're going to get him back.” Erin said, happy her voice was firm and unwavering so he didn't know just how scared she was. Only Mike and Will have seen her that way, and she'd really prefer it stay that way too.

“Of course. You'll get your Gandalf back, Galadriel.” Dustin teased her this time, sticking his tongue out at her when she turned to him once more and giving a wink as well.

“Oh go back down into your mines, Dwar-”

“What the hell are you doing outside?!”

“Shit!!!!”

Dustin and Erin both turned around to see a pissed off Steve Harrington in the street behind them, Dustin taking off into his driveway without a word and Erin doing the same.

Well, looks like she was right about probably getting caught.

***

Erin hastily threw her things into her bag, trying to beat Steve out of the house to avoid more lecturing. She thought it was pretty hypocritical though, considering he was at the same exact place she was. Though, from what Mike said, he crawled up the side of their house into Nancy's window.

Hmm, wonder how Mrs. Wheeler would feel about hearing that. Maybe this will get him off her back till her parents come home.

Her Super comm crackled to life from her desk, looking over in curiosity since it was early. None of the boys call this early, they all just meet up on the bike ride to school.

Picking it up, she held it to her mouth as she waited for whoever it was to say something. When all she got was clicks and more static, she looked down at it in confusion. “Hello? Guys, did you forget to turn off your comm? Over.” Erin asked in general, thinking it might be Dustin because he was just across the street.

It has to be a really clear day to reach Mike who's furthest away.

“Hello?” Erin jerked away from the super comm at the foreign voice, almost putting it down. It took her a moment to remember who's voice that was, since she only spoke like two words last night.

“Hi...” Erin greeted the stranger back, not sure if she should ask why she had Mike's super comm or not. Knowing how friendly Mike is, he probably wanted her to have something to keep busy with. “You managed to get a good signal to me, must be a clear day.” Erin continued, chuckling a little in hopes to break the awkward tension.

“Good signal?”

“Yeah, usually Mike and I can only talk over these if it's a really clear day.” Erin answered, hearing additional noise in the background of the static that was no doubt the stranger not taking her hand off the buttons.

“Hey, you found my super comm. Pretty cool, huh? I talk to my friends with it.” Erin snorted at how Mike was actually in a pretty good mood for it being so early.

“Good signal.” The stranger replied as Erin put her comm down to pull her jacket on.

“Huh? Good signal, sometimes. It's actually pretty weak, usually. I mostly talk to Lucas with it because he's so close by.”

“Gee, Mike, I see who's your favorite.” Erin butted in with a smirk at the super comm, giggling a little when she heard him gasp at hearing her.

“Erin?” Mike asked aloud, his voice laced with confusion.

“See you at school, Mike!” Erin said before putting her super comm back down on the desk so she could head to school.

“Guys? Why are you all talking on these when we have school to get to.” Erin couldn't resist, she picked the super comm back up just to blow raspberries in it at Lucas being the big brother yet again.

With that she put it back and raced out the door.

“Straight home, you hear me.” Steve met her out in the garage, much to her chagrin.

“Is that what you were told when you decided to crawl in Nancy's window last night?” Erin asked with a cheeky smirk at the older teenager, who's serious demeanor faltered at her words. “You two have fun last night studying anatomy?” Erin asked, cackling before taking off out the garage on her bike.

“You must be imagining things, probably a fever from being out in the storm last night with the boy next door!” Steve called after her, his voice echoing into the neighborhood as said boy mentioned just so happened to come down his own driveway on his bike.

“Next time wait until no one's around to see you before you climb into a girls window, babysitter Steve!” Erin called back as she peddled away quicker and quicker to escape his wrath should he choose to use it on her.

*** 

After arriving at school and sitting down Lucas, Dustin and Erin realized that they were another friend short today. “He's never this late.” Dustin said while looking at Mike's empty desk.

“I'm telling you, his stupid plan failed.” Lucas said with a scowl, wishing they hadn't brought that girl home last night.

“I thought you liked his plan.” Dustin said, since Lucas hadn't made any comments about not wanting to try it last night when Mike suggested it.

“Yeah, but obviously it was stupid, or he'd be here.” Lucas said with scowl still present as he waved a hand towards Mike's empty seat.

“If his mom found out a girl spent the night--”

“He's in deep shit right about now.” Lucas cut Dustin off, sighing at the fact that if Mike gets caught then they were all going down. Mike would never rat any of them out, but all of their parents just assume if one gets in trouble then the rest helped at this point. Then they wouldn't be able to keep looking for Will.

Erin was about to cut in to remind once again that she was still very much a girl, but Dustin beat her to it. “Hey, what if she slept naked?” Dustin asked, leaning towards Lucas with his eyes a little brighter.

Lucas and Erin both just stared at him in amazement for a moment, over the fact that he still hasn't let this go, before Lucas spoke. “Oh, my god. She didn't.” Lucas assured Dustin with a tired sigh at the end of his words, closing his eyes as he wished this would leave his mind.

“Oh, if Mrs. Wheeler tells my parents...” Dustin trailed off as he worriedly pressed his hands to his face.

“Mike would never rat us out.” Erin reminded Dustin of what they all knew, leaning forward on her desk that sat behind Lucas'.

“I don't know.” Dustin replied after pulling his hands from his face, still visibly worried.

“All that matters is, after school, the freak will be back in the loony bin, and we can focus on what really matters, finding Will.” Lucas reminded, punctuating the last two words with a pat of his hand on his desk before turning to his text book.

Dustin and Erin watched him for a moment before turning their gazes back to their own desks.

“Can I just remind for a moment that I'm still very much a girl just like this stranger?” Erin spoke up not less than a minute later, Lucas snorting to try to keep from laughing as Dustin looked over at her.

“It's different with you, though. After all, you and Mike used to-”

“Don't you dare say it!”

Erin glared sharply at the back of Lucas' head as he just held a devious smile without looking back her way.

Dustin looked between the two, completely confused and feeling a little left out at not knowing what the hell Lucas was about to reveal.

“What, you don't want our class knowing that when you two were younger you-”

“Shut it, mouth breather!” Erin snapped at him, interrupting him once again before leaning forward and flicking him on the back of the head.

“Was this before I moved here?” Dustin asked, watching Lucas turn to glare at Erin for the flick on his head.

“Yes, and you will not be hearing about it.” Erin said with finality, folding her arms defiantly over her desk as she glared right back at Lucas.

They went silent then, the conversation seemingly dropped. More than likely to be brought back up at some later point.

*** 

Once school was over the three hopped on their bikes and headed straight for the Wheeler home to check on how the situation was going. They barely spoke during the ride, just focusing on pedaling and their own internal thoughts about what could be going on with Mike about this stranger.

Lucas and Dustin were surprised when they walked into Mike's room to see the girl sitting on his bed, Erin not so much because this was Mike. “Are you out of your mind?” Lucas asked, genuinely amazed by what Mike is doing now.

“Just listen to me.” Mike said as he stood in front of his three friends.

“You are out of your mind!” Lucas reasoned, waving his hands towards the strange girl sitting on his best friends bed, who kept staring back at them with an intense look that made him shudder.

“She knows about Will.” Mike revealed, that getting their attention as all three pairs of eyes landed on him.

“What do you mean she knows about Will?” Dustin asked, confused as to how some random stranger would know about their best friend.

Mike sighed and walked over to his dresser lined with trophies and pictures, picking up one in particular that held all of them gathered around their newest trophy smiling at the camera. “She pointed at him, at his picture. She knew he was missing. I could tell.” Mike admitted, pointing to Will on the picture.

“You could tell?” Lucas asked, not sure how he was supposed to believe this.

“Just think about it. You really think it was a coincidence that we found her on Mirkwood, the same place where Will disappeared?” Mike asked, Lucas and Dustin glancing towards the girl sitting cross legged on Mike's bed.

“That is weird.” Dustin agreed as he turned to Lucas.

“And she said bad people are after her. I think maybe these bad people are the same ones that took Will. I think she knows what happened to him.” Mike admitted, hoping to everything that he was right and she really does know what's going on and can help them find Will.

“Then why doesn't she tell us?” Lucas asked, looking to the stranger in frustration now before walking over towards her, the other three following. “Do you know where he is?” Lucas asked, and when all he got was silence and more staring he leaned forward and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Do you know where Will is?!” Lucas demanded more loudly this time as he shook her by the shoulders, the girl looking back at him in fear.

“Stop it!”

“You're scaring her!”

“She should be scared!” Lucas snapped back at the two that interrupted him. “If you know where he is, tell us!” Lucas was once more met by silence by the girl. “This is nuts. We have to take her to your mom!” Lucas said as he turned his attention back to Mike, fed up with the silent treatment.

“No! Eleven said telling any adult would put us in danger.” Mike revealed, Lucas turning his gaze back to the girl, Eleven as Mike called her, while Erin stepped around Lucas towards the girl.

“What kind of danger?” Dustin asked, face paler in fear of what that could possibly mean.

“Her name is Eleven?” Lucas asked, not believing that for a second since that wasn't a name. It was a number. No one is named after a number.

“El for short.” Mike replied to Lucas instead of answering Dustin's more important question.

“Mike, what kind of danger?”

Erin stepped closer to Eleven as she watched her, Eleven's own gaze drifting away from Mike and to her instead. The boys continued talking, but she tuned them out as she just observed the quiet girl. Danger, from someone who acts this strange and as Lucas claims looks like a mental patient. What kind of danger did they find themselves?

Erin watched as Eleven's eyes went back to the boys as Lucas moved for the door. When he opened it, it slammed back shut hard enough that Erin's eyes shifted to it and the trembling figurines on Mike's desk from the sheer force. Then, when he tried again, it slammed once more with just as much force.

All four of them turned back to Eleven. “No.” A drop of blood ran down her nose onto her lip as she stared back at the boys with a hard look in her eyes.

What...

The boys gathered together, whispering among themselves as Eleven just watched them again. Leaving Erin to walk over to her.

As she got closer, Eleven stepped back and sat back down on Mike's bed. Was there any point in asking if she had just slammed a door with her mind? Or was that basically just a statement since there was no other logical reasoning for why the door would slam shut twice in a row like that.

“Hi...” Erin said instead, voice a little shaky as she took a seat beside the girl on her best friends bed. “I'm Erin, the one you talked to this morning over Mike's super comm.” Erin introduced herself, even though Eleven has already met her. At least now they know each other's names.

“Erin.” Eleven repeated her name back to her, Erin smiling a little easier which surprisingly earned one from the girl beside her.

“Yeah, nice to meet you again.” Erin held out a hand to Eleven to shake, Eleven just staring at her hand for a moment.

Slowly, Eleven took her hand in her own, and it was as Eleven was looking down at their joined hands that Erin noticed ink on the girls wrist. The numbers 011 neatly written in black ink across her skin.

Oh what have they gotten themselves into this time?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I'm genuinely amazed with my ability to crank out chapters so quickly right now. This is coming down to I'm writing a chapter a day. I hope yall are enjoying it. I also feel like I should apologize for what's going to be the frequent referencing of LOTR or the Hobbit, but I love it too much to ever apologize for that. Besides, they canonically loved the books so it makes sense.**
> 
> **We finally meet El though, and get to see some more of the friends interactions with one another.**
> 
> **So question time, since there so far this story hasn't been getting too many hits I wanted to ask how yall feel about the length of the chapters. Typically, like I do with my other work, I write out ten pages in my word doc and that makes one chapter. But considering the length of the episodes and the amount of the script of which I am working with, as you can see each episode isn't getting finished with each chapter.**
> 
> **I don't actually go back and reread my work after I've edited it and posted it. By the way, I'm sorry if there's errors or anything that I miss. I skim through pretty quick, trying to stop that. But I'm otherwise unsure if the chapters are too long or too short for all of you. So please, let me know your preference on the subject. In all honesty, I have no problem making them longer if need be.**
> 
> **Sorry for the long footnote. Thanks again for reading, and I'll see you all next time!**

**Author's Note:**

> **Wow it has been a while since I've started a new story! I couldn't help myself this time though, it's Stranger Things! Who can honestly resist! Not to mention the common referencing they make of one of my favorite series of all time, as shown by the Eldar and Khuzd.**
> 
> **Now, I always hate the first chapter of any story I write because it's me getting the base in and I'm always dissatisfied with it. I promise though, it'll get better if you didn't much care for this! Please, give it a chance and forgive me as I get myself back into the sway of writing again! It's been a while!**
> 
> **I'm new to writing for this series, but I hope you enjoyed it so far! I'm not going to have a set update schedule for this story just yet as I've done with other stories in the past, I'm very busy during daytime and also in the process of trying to pick new software to write with. But if I can I'll try to update at least once a week.**
> 
> **Thank you so much for reading and thanks even more if you'll be willing to come back for the next chapter. I promise, it'll be better and not as drawn out as this one was. I hope to see you next time!**
> 
> **Oh, before I forget, please feel free to give suggestions for a better title for this story. I've basically just settled with the one I've got because I suck at naming my work, so please give any ideas you have! Who knows, you might even give the new name for this! Also excuse me if the layout of the story looks yuck, I'm still not familiar with using Archive as I usually post on Fanfict or Quotev. If you see something that's big and I don't notice it due to my inexperience with this site, please let me know and I'll get right on it! Thanks again!**


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